New machine turns office paper into toilet paper

TOKYO, Japan — Nakabayashi Company Ltd., a 2,000-person company which manufactures items such as car seats and various office supplies, has upped the ante with their newest invention: The toilet paper machine, according to Crunch Gear.

By using standard A4-sized paper like that used in printers and copy machines in offices and other facilities around the world, the machine is able to produce usable toilet paper and keep materials out of landfills, the story stated.

Approximately 900 sheets of paper can produce a roll of toilet paper, and the machine can pump out two rolls an hour, the story noted.

No estimates have been released as to how much the machine costs to operate, but it comes with a price tag of $95,000, the story added.

According to the story, the company will begin distributing the machines in August and hopes to sell 60 units in the first year of production.

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Proposed law for green cleaning in Nevada schools

CARSON CITY, NV — The State of Nevada has taken a decidedly different approach towards green cleaning in schools by proposing legislation that would require all public K-12 schools to use environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products in the cleaning of all floor surfaces only, according to a press release.

As passed by both the Nevada Senate and Assembly, and awaiting the signature of Governor Jim Gibbons, SB 185 was amended to mandate green cleaning for floor surfaces only in order to gain enough support to pass, the release stated.

According to the release, SB 185 does allow the board of trustees of a school district to use environmentally sensitive cleaning products on surfaces other than just flooring.

Under SB 185, the Nevada Department of Education would be required to provide each school district with a list of products that meet "…standards for environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products for use in the cleaning of all floor surfaces in the public schools," the release noted.

The bill allows schools to opt-out of implementing a green cleaning program for floor surfaces if it would place an undue economic burden on the school, the release added.

College custodians fall victim to outsourcing

BATTLE CREEK, MI — Remaining Kellogg Community College custodial positions will be outsourced to Omni Facility Services as outsourcing efforts will be complete July1, according to the Battle Creek Enquirer.

It was agreed between custodians and the college that if the number of college-based custodians fell below six, the college would privatize the balance of the custodial positions through an outsourcing contract, the story stated.

Kevin Moody, chairman of Kellogg Community College's Local 331.06 maintenance union, said: "As a union we're not in favor of this decision, but we've worked together with the college to make it the least damaging as possible."

According to the story, since 2005, custodians have been working under a collective bargaining agreement that calls for contracting out positions piecemeal to Omni Facility Services when custodians leave or retire.

Kellogg Community College hopes to save $200,000 in the next year by outsourcing out the remaining positions, the story noted.

The college has offered severance packages to the remaining four custodians, and one of them has accepted an administrative-level position with the college, the story added.

First LEED-EB certified building in Southwest Michigan

KALAMAZOO, MI — The College of Health and Human Services at Western Michigan University is the first building in Southwest Michigan to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design for Existing Buildings (LEED-EB) certification, according to Building Design and Construction.

Being certified at the Gold level makes the Health and Human Services building the first LEED-EB certified higher education building in the country to achieve a rating higher than Silver, the story stated.

Western Michigan University President John Dunn said: "We are delighted to have this national recognition for a facility we regard as a special building in its own right and a symbol of the commitment this campus has to sustainability. Our facilities management area is on the cutting edge when it comes to wise energy use and sound environmental management. This is a well-deserved recognition for those who planned and built this amazing facility, for those who manage its daily use and for those who guided it through the certification process."

The certification involved documenting sustainable practices with storm water management, pollution control, water usage efficiency, ozone-free cooling systems, recycling and waste management storage and collection and sustainable cleaning products and policies, the story noted.

The high-tech, 200,000-square-foot building was completed in the summer of 2005 and was designed by the architectural firm SmithGroup of Detroit, the story added.

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First LEED-Platinum office building in D.C.

BETHESDA, MD — Lafayette Tower recently became the first commercial office building in the District of Columbia to achieve Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), according to Building Construction and Design.

The $48 million, 327,500-square-foot building was completed by Clark Construction Group LLC earlier this year and is cleaned and maintained in an environmentally friendly manner through its green housekeeping program, the story stated.

Sustainable elements of the building include: Use of recycled construction materials; low volatile organic compound (VOC) paints; a green roof; maximization of natural light; and public transportation access, the story noted.

Lafayette Tower is the first project certified under the LEED for Core & Shell rating system, which works to set up a synergistic relationship that allows future tenants to capitalize on green strategies implemented by the developer, the story added.

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Law: Green roofs on all new buildings

TORONTO, ON, Canada — The City of Toronto recently passed a bill into law that requires mandatory green roof construction on new buildings of all classes, according to a press release.

According to the release, the law requires up to 50 percent green roof coverage on schools, non-profit housing, commercial and industrial buildings and multi-unit residential dwellings over six stories, and requires larger residential projects to have green roof coverage ranging anywhere from 20 to 50 percent of the roof area.

Toronto already requires green roofs on city-owned properties, has established an Eco-roof Incentive Program of up to $5 per square foot for existing buildings and is currently building a publicly accessible green roof on its city hall.

The new law is expected to produce upwards of 75 new green roof projects each year, the release stated.

Deputy Mayor Joe Pantalone said: "The City of Toronto’s leadership on all things green took another major step by making it obligatory to have green roofs for all types of new buildings. This law is a major part of the solution to climate change, the creation of green jobs and it represents a whole new mindset on how our cities approach the 20 percent or so of surface area that are roofs."

According to the Annual Green Roof Industry Survey by Green Roofs For Healthy Cities (GRHC), the City of Chicago remains North America's highest concentration of green roofs, the release noted.

Toronto city officials hope the move to make green roofs mandatory will serve as a guide for other cities striving to become more sustainable, the release added.

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Green cleaning in Hawaii schools bill

HONOLULU — Hawaii House Bill HB 1538, which passed both the State House of Representatives and the State Senate in early May, would require all public school facilities to "…give first preference, where feasible, to the purchase and use of environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products that have been approved by the Green Seal program," according to a press release.

Hawaii Governor Linda Lingle has until July 15 to sign, veto or allow the measure to become law, the release stated.

If the bill becomes law, the Hawaii Department of Health would be required to "…review and evaluate existing research regarding environmentally sensitive cleaning and maintenance products, including any research and guidance issued by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)," the release noted.

The Governor’s office is reviewing the proposed legislation and is accepting comments on the bill before acting one way or another, the release added.

According to the release, HB 1538 would require the Hawaii Department of Health to maintain an up-to-date list of products that have been approved by Green Seal.